The Yellows

Vegetables and fruits that are yellow in color have many health advantages.
Listed below are some powerful vitamins and minerals you'll get from adding these bright colored fruits and vegetables to your diet.
Lutein + Zeaxanthin;
Good sources; Corn, leafy greens
Benefits; These vegetables help keep the eyes strong by protecting the retina.
Bromelain;
Good source; Pineapple
Benefits; This enzyme will ease asthma and indigestion.
Limonoids;
Good sources; Citrus
Benefits; Limonoids lower cholesterol and also protect against skin, breast, and stomach cancers.

Pineapple, Mango, And Meyer Lemon Salad
Ingredients;
1 pineapple, skin removed, cored, and cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 mango, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 Meyer lemon, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced, seeds removed
1 tbs fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup toasted unsweetened coconut flakes
Place fruit in a bowl. Stir in lemon juice, and top with toasted coconut flakes.
This healthy dish is delicious served as a desert, and it has a fresh tropical flavor everyone will enjoy.

Amazing Video!

This video is a great example of how healthy a vegan diet is for everyone.

http://video.ak.fbcdn.net/cfs-ak-ash4/433377/845/10150647035738770_10230.mp4?oh=40dfc061d2d94081313bfea1bca694f2&oe=4F4ED800&__gda__=1330567168_b1c4ab7e7ba82bc39f1330f2c3ca457e

The Oranges

Orange fruits and vegetables have great health benefits if eaten regularly.
Curcumin;
Good source; Termeric
Benefits; The antioxident properties of curcumin may help counter the body's negative responses to high fat foods.
Beta-Cryptoxanthin;
Good sources; Papaya, tangerines.
Benefits;This caroteniod plays an important role in vision and in bone and cell growth.
Alpha-Carotene
Good Sources; Sweet potatoes, carrots, winter squash and cantaloupe.
Benefits;
Converts to vitamin A and bolsters immunity.
Hesperidin+Naringenin
Good Sources; Citrus
Benefits;
The powerful flavanoids stave off inflamation and blood vessel damage caused by poor diets.

Roasted Sweet Peppers And Carrots with Orange and Hazelnuts.

Ingredients;

2 small orange sweet peppers, halved and seeded
5 medium corrots, trimmed, scrubbed, and halved
2 Tbsp olive oil, more for drizzling
Salt and pepper to taste
1 navel orange, peel and pith removed, sliced
1clementine, peeled and pith removed, and sliced
1/4 cup toasted, chopped hazelnuts
1Tbs sherry vinegar

Pre heat oven to 425. Place carrots and peppers on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 20 minutes, until tender, turning once while roasting.
Meanwhile peel and slice oranges and clementines.
Arrange the roasted carrots and peppers with the oranges on a platter.
Top with hazelnuts. Whisk olive oil and vinegar together, season with salt and pepper, then drizzle over the top of the vegetables.
You can also add 1/4 cup of fresh goat cheese to this salad, which I did not add to mine.

Even though the cloud might cover the sun, the sun never forgets to shine.

The Reds

Fruits and vegetables that are the color red, have different vitamins and minerals to offer.
Resveratrol:
Good Sources: Redwine, red grapes
Benefits: The polyphenol neutralizes free radicals and may inhibit inflamation.
Lycopene:
Good Sources: tomatoes, grapefruit,  red peppers.
Benefits: A diet rich in this carotenoid may reduce the risk of prostate cancer as much as 35 percent.
Capsaicin:
Benefits:
Chile peppers
This helps stave off hunger and burn calories. It's also a pain reliever.
Here's a tasty and colorful pasta dish i just made tonight.
Beet Pasta
Ingredients;
1lb red beets, trimmed, scrubbed
1/4 cup olive oil
and more for drizzling
Coarse salt
1/2 cup toasted walnuts
1 tbs chopped sundried tomatoes
Red pepper flakes
12 oz whole grain pasta
I omitted the 1/2 cup of fresh riccotta but if desired you can add this to the dish.
Pre heat oven to 425. Drizzle beets with olive oil and season with salt. Wrap tightly in foil and roast until tender, 1 hour.
Pulse beets, walnuts and tomatoes in food processed. Season with salt and red pepper flakes.
Cook pasta according to directions and reserve 1 cup of the pasta water after draining and return to pot. Toss with beet mixtue adding pasta water until creamy. If using ricotta serve with ricotta, a drizzle of oil and red pepper flakes.

Dining on a rainbow of fruits and vegetables, will assure us nature's full spectrum of health promoting nutrients.

Warm Soy Milk With Honey

Most weekday nights I've been enjoying a cup of warm soy milk with honey, grated nutmeg and cinnamon.  It's a very healthy snack and it tastes great too!
Just warm a cup of soy milk in the microwave for 2 minutes. When hot add 1 to two tsp of honey, a dash of both nutmeg, and cinnamon, stir and drink.

Middle Management

Visceral fat, a type of fat that lurks deep in the abdomen, surrounds organs and produces hormones that may increase your risk for heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. You can target it directly by making a few lifestyle changes.
Legumes:
Adding beans, lentils and peanuts to your diet can help fight belly fat. They're full of soluble fiber. Scientists discovered that for every 10 grams you eat a day of soluble fiber, you slow visceral fat accumulation by four percent over 5 years.
Stress busting workouts:
Aerobic excercise delivers a one-two punch to deep belly fat.It lwers cortisol levels. Too much of this stress hormone shifts fat storage to your belly.
Take a break:
Practice activities that put you in relaxation mode. Studies show when we are intune with our bodies this helps fight belly fat. Anxiety can raise insulin levels and cause you to eat foods high in sugar and fat, both which adds pounds to your middle.

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Here's  great vegan soup recipe I read from a peta sight. The only thing i altered in this recipe was that i used 3 Tbs of olive oil in place of vegan margarine, because I didn't have vegan margarine.
This soup is absolutely delicious and very healthy.

Ingredients;
1/2 cup vegan margarine( i used 3 tbs olive oil instead)
2 carrots, chopped
2 stalks of celary, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
3 sweet red peppers, roasted and peeled
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup soy milk
Sea salt and pepper to taste

In large saucepan saute carrots, celary, and onion in vegan margarine, or olive oil.
Meanwhile roast 3 peppers in broiler.
When vegetables begin to soften add chopped garlic. Continue to saute until vegetables are tender.
Turn peppers occasionally, until all sides are roasted. Remove from oven.  Let cool. Peel, discard seeds and chop. Add roasted peppers to the vegetables and saute for 5 more minutes. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Transfer mixture to the blender and puree. Return to pan. Season with salt and pepper and add soy milk. Simmer on low for 10 minutes and serve.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

Energy Booster

Spotting something red can boost your energy. It can actually make your muscles move faster and work harder, giving you a burst of energy when you most need it.
Keep a single red rose in your sight to pep up your day.

Keeping lips moist

Before applying lip balm, moisten lips with cool water, then apply lip balm to seal in the moisture. This makes the top layer of your skin more permeable to lock in hydration.

Fat Flush Soup

According to research, if you eat soup 20 minutes before you eat lunch, you'll consume less calories during lunch.
I found this soup recipe called " fat flush soup" out of a natural health magazine. Though it's original recipe calls for meat, I've altered this dish to make it vegan friendly.
Ingredients;
2 tbs olive oil
1onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1bell pepper, seeded and chopped
8 oz mushrooms, chopped
1 14oz can of crushed tomatoes
132oz bottle of vegetable juice
1 tbs fresh lemon juice
1 14oz can of pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 tbs ground cumin
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 cup fresh cilantro and parsley, chopped
In saucepan saute onions, mushrooms and pepper in olive oil, until soft, about 5 minutes.
Stir in remaining ingredients, except cilantro and parsley.
Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in fresh herbs.
Cover and simmer 10 minutes longer and serve.
This soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Tangerines

Tangeretin, one of the tangerine's many flavonoids, may help protect against heart disease, parkinson's disease and cancer. There are other diverse antioxidants in this fruit that makes them a powerhouse for fighting chronic disease.

Roasted brussel sprouts with ginger

Ingredients;
12 large brussel sprouts, halved
1tbs minced ginger
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1tsp basil
3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 435.
Place brussel sprouts on baking sheet and mix with the rest of the ingredients. Roast for 30 minutes or until tender.
Stir occasionally.

Love your heart

For a diet that's heart healthy think fresh and think natural and unprocessed.
More heart healthy foods;
Blueberries
Spinage
Garlic
Brown rice
Tomatoes
Grape juice
Tea
Soy milk
Oranges
Cranberries
Cantalopes
papayas
Asparagus
Acorn squash
Carrots
Tofu

"Anything the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve."

He ends the night and heralds the day
He wakes us up for work and play
He stirs the seed deep in the earth
And sends it sprouting up through Her girth
He rules the months, our season's, and days
And with his fire, He lights our way
He brings us joy and warms our hearts
He promises a brand new start
He doles out doses of vitamin D
To increase our calcium absorbency
He brings us air and stirs the tides And all the while, through the sky He rides
Without a cross word or a single objection
Do you know who he is? Have you made the connection? He is none other than the glorious Sun
Who only finds rest when our day is done
Dorothy Morrison